Manufacture of artificial ivory



UNITED STATES ATENT Tries.

JARVIS B. EDSON, OF ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS.

MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL IVORY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,831, dated December 30, 1884.

Application filed April '23, 1884. (Specimens) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JARVIS l3. EDsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adams, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Ivory, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to the production of an article which closely resembles and is adapted for being used as a proper substitute for ivory, the grain of which is still distinct, or at least has not been removed by artificial means, and designated hereinafter in this application as grain-ivory, the present invention being designed to improve upon the invention set forth and claimed in Letters Patent granted me by the United States August 14, 1883, No. 283,225.

In the manufacture of factitious grain-ivory from apyroXyline basesuch as zyloniteunder myinvention, at least two lots of zylonite are prepared, differing from each other in shade to such an extent that when combined and subsequently reduced to the ultimate and desired articles to be formed the general shade or color of the article and the individual characteristics of the integral parts forming the grain shall be such as to best approach the appearance of the natural ivory as found in articles of similar form. It will be recognized that the procurement of these degrees of shade is a matter of great nicety and judgment; furthermore, the least of a material of a pyroxyline or Zylonite base is never white, or even opaque, but possesses a similar shade to horn, and this horn shade varies to such an extent in different bleaches, from various At least two lots of transparent horn-col- I ored pure pyroxyline or zylonite base are re quired. With one is incorporated, either prior to or at the rolling operation, sufficient pigmentsay of oxide ofzinc, about seven and onehalf per cent., and of suitable coloringmatter-say a yellow-one-half of one per cent., or such pigment without any coloringmatter. These ingredients, employed to obtain the desired body, depth, and tone ofcolor and to destroy the horn-like appearance of the pure material, having been thoroughly incorporated and the whole sufficiently worked on the rolls to the consistency found best adapted for the purpose, occupying about thirty minutes, the rolls are set, say, one-sixteenth of an inch apart, and the batch is run through while itis yet warm, and it emerges in a long sheet. This sheet is either subdivided into small areas or not, depending upon subsequent requirement-s. \Vith another lot of the transparent horn-colored pure pyroxyline or zylonite base is incorporated, either prior to or at the rolling or grinding operation, sufficient pig- 1nentsay of oxide of zinc, about fifteen per cent., and of suitable coloring-matter-say a yell0wone-quarter of one per cent., or such pigment without coloring-matter. I These ingredients, employed to obtain the desired body, depth, or tone of color and to destroy the horn-like appearance of the pure material, having been thoroughly incorporated and the whole suiiiciently worked on the rolls to the consistency found best adapted for the purpose, occupying about thirty minutes, the rolls are set, say, one-sixteenth of an inch apart, and the batch is run through while it is yet warm, and emerges in a long sheet.' This sheet is either subdivided into small areas or not, depending upon subsequent requirements. Having thus obtained the two or more layers, I now arrange them alternately and build them up in a block, or amass them in any convenient manner, as by pressing or rolling, aided by heat and pressure, and so as to consolidate them without destroying the individuality of the several layers, thus giving, when out into cross-sections, a grain appearance. The desired result may also be obtained by using equal amounts of the same pigments in each of these layers, by shading with colors the difi'erent layers; nor is it essential that the pigments, or coloring-matters in their stead, used in the several layers shall be of the same nature, for by using those which give greater or less opacity in the one layer than in the other similar'results may also be obtained.

I am aware that various methods have been published for producing factitious grainivory-as, for instance, films or sheets produced from dissolved pyroxyline rendered white and opaque by the addition of a suitable pigment, with other films or sheets produced from dissolved pyroxyline without pigment. These films are formed one on the other in geometric forms, so as to give a pleasing figure or grain when the built-up mass is cut.

The following is the manner prescribed: The parkesine is prepared without pigment or coloring-matter, and kept as clear and white as possible, and when in a dough-like state it is rolled into sheets, say one-sixteenth of an inch thick, more or less. Another similar parkesine is prepared, but containingcarbonate of strontia, say in the proportion of one part to two hundred parts of pyroxyline, and this is also rolled out into thin sheets. From these sheets, placed alternately one above the other, a block is built up, according to the style or grain theartist desires to produce;

and as a method the following is described: A transparent or opaque sheet is laid the one on the other and rolled upona mandrel, or without, until a roll of some size is accumulated. Then the roll is taken, (the mandrel,

if any, having been drawn out,) twisted, and passed through hat-rolls, rolled down into a slab suitable for cutting, say, knife-handles, or any article it is desired to produce; or the sheets may be accumulated on a large roll and cut off from it in strips and thestrips slightly twisted and rolled down into slabs; or many other similar methods may be resorted to. Other methods have been published for producing a satisfactory substitute for ivory; but in none of these cases has a satisfactory imitation been the result entirely, owing to the use of a pure pyroxyline base to form one of the layers of the mass.

It will be seen that it is the distinguishing characteristic of my improvement that each of the sheets or laminae composing the ultimate combined mass is treated with pigment or coloring-matter for the purpose of giving an ivory-grain characteristic and shade to the several individual layers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is As an improved new manufacture, the imitation grain-ivory herein described, made of two or more combined layers of a pyroxyline base, each of said layers being pigmentized, in the manner substantially as herein set forth.

In-testi mon y whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JARVIS B. EDSON.

XVitnesses:

JAMES L. NoRRIs, GEORGE N. REA. 

